1 in 4 Bank of Canada managers needs French training

One in four managers at the Bank of Canada are failing to meet the institution’s bilingualism requirements, including senior deputy governor Carolyn Rogers, according to information obtained by Radio-Canada. Rogers, who was appointed in 2021, is nearing the midway point of her seven-year mandate but has not yet met the bank’s requirements in terms of managing employees in her second language. Despite taking intensive French courses and receiving one-on-one language training, Rogers still falls short of the required Level 5 proficiency.

This issue is not unique to Rogers, as 87 out of 373 managers at the Bank of Canada do not meet the French language standard for their positions. The bank emphasizes the importance of managers being able to follow conversations, communicate clearly, and express themselves spontaneously in French. The bank’s spokesperson, Sean Gordon, noted that Rogers has made progress in her language skills and is working towards meeting the required level of competence.

Since its establishment in 1935, the Bank of Canada has had English as the first official language for all governors. However, the bank aims for all employees to be able to work in their language of choice, including economic specialists who assist in setting key interest rates. The bank denies allegations that it encourages French-speaking employees to work and present in English, emphasizing that presentations to senior management are conducted in French.

A former employee filed a complaint with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, citing the Official Languages Act’s provisions requiring senior managers to operate in both French and English. The commissioner’s office found the complaint valid, noting that Rogers is not sufficiently bilingual to communicate effectively with bank employees in French. Discussions between the commissioner’s office and the bank continued until the beginning of this year, resulting in the bank overhauling its internal bilingualism policy.

The bank has implemented measures to ensure respect for linguistic rights, including requiring managers to speak in both languages during internal events with translation services available. Additionally, the bank now assesses senior managers’ language abilities every three years to encourage the use of both official languages in the workplace. Despite these efforts, some critics, like lawyer Darius Bossé, believe the bank still has work to do to comply fully with the Official Languages Act.

In conclusion, the Bank of Canada is taking steps to improve its bilingualism policies and ensure that all employees, including senior managers, can effectively communicate in both official languages. While progress has been made, there is still room for improvement to meet the requirements of the Official Languages Act and promote a more inclusive work environment for all employees.